The Digital Transformation in Africa

Global names (firms, government officials,
experts, Information Technology geeks and aficionados) converged on Kigali, the
capital of Rwanda for Transform
Africa Summit 2015to brainstorm, articulate, examine and also take
stock and proffer or streamline the achievements Africa had and has made in the
digital world. And also, to lay the path for the appropriate or next phase of
the digitization of Africa. From a
personal perspective; some of the statistics unearthed and churned out by the
panellists on the first day were encouraging and quite mindboggling to say the
least e.g. India has about 1billion
people. One connectivity policy. Africa has just under 1billion people and 54
nations and 54 ICT policies. Some would say, Africa is not a country but a
continent!

The opening
speech by Rwanda’s Prime Minister Anastase
Murekeziwas laced with salient points. Paraphrasing him; he opined that; "in Africa, broadband connectivity had
increased and still on the increase; largely spearheaded by the internet.
And that in Rwanda, the citizens had
noticed; increased output in service delivery since broadband connectivity was
introduced. Another undeniable truth in his speech is the fact that; in the past decade, Africa has experienced exponential
growth in the private and public sectors through broadband." The statistics
are quite encouraging. For example, during the press
conference which had in attendance Houlin Zhao, the Secretary-General of
the International Telecommunication Union, Minister Jean Philbert Nsengimana
and Francis Gatare CEO of Rwanda Development Board answering questions; it was
reported that in 2007, $50billion worth of investments was envisaged in 5
years. Alas, in 2013, the Africa Development Bank discovered that about $70billion worth of investments had been invested
in Africa.

With the convergence of ICT minds from across
the globe; the first day’s sessions and panelists were churning out amazing
and intellectually stimulating opinions, criticism, tasking questions and
solutions to some of Africa’s lingering challenges in the digital world.

During the opening session, Jean Philbert
Nsengimana; Rwanda’s Youth and ICT Minister, made some well-articulated
comments, which should get Africans thinking. He posited that being digitally smart, is being connected.
Being smart is about sharing and being smart is by measuring. Another
panelist posited that there are
businesses who are just a year or two years in operation and breaking the
$1billion mark. And that this is achievable in Africa. Another panelist
posited that cheaper broadband services
reduce the prices of mobile devices. And that government in Africa must set up
clear government strategies; so that companies would know the areas in the
digital sector the firms can come in and assist.

Some of the most articulated opinions were
not hard to come by. And the Rwandan ICT Minister spoke about the challenges
for Africa in digitization, which he highlighted as energy, digital literacy (but don’t forget that literacy is of utmost
importance) and cyber security. But of note was an
Indian man who posed an interesting question which went thus while promoting digital innovation; how do
we stop digital addiction? Another panelist’s view was that Africans should design digital solutions and
products for her citizens. Because we know what we want and need.

In a nutshell, the digital transformation in
Africa is gathering momentum and the achievements are visible. But it must be
said that there is much work to be done. And one question by a panelist that
should keep on ringing into the recollective skulls of African leaders and
Africans and which should be implemented; went thus, what are foreign and homegrown telecommunication firms doing to organise
programming competitions in African Universities?

I dare rehash the question by postulating and
asking, why don’t we as Africans begin to
inculcate, implement or infuse digital age education into the educational
syllabus from elementary or at least primary school level as is being seen in
some advanced-thinking economies? Lest you forget, the clock-making
American teenager Ahmed Mohamed is moving
to Qatar after accepting scholarship. In un-grandiloquent English, catch
them young.

Like Elon Musk said, "I could either watch it happen, or be part of it".